Soraya L. Chemaly is a feminist and satirist whose work focuses on cultivating feminism through humour. She writes about gender, and gender absurdities, for The Huffington Post, Alternet, Role/Reboot, The Feminist Wire, BitchFlicks and Fem2.0 among others. www.sorayachemaly.tumblr.com or Twitter @schemaly.

Last month’s CNN piece on sex trafficking in Cambodia was notable because it represented a common failure of the media to report effectively on issues like trafficking in ways that do not compound the harm to those most affected.

The student argued that the school should focus less resources on developing a new mascot, and more on addressing the potentially frightening culture within the school’s athletic program. UConn’s athletics aren’t alone in that regard.

“We want to build a national monument to survivors, because we want to live in a country that holds public and supportive space for survivors to heal,” adds co-founder of FORCE, Hannah Brancato, “Because we want to live in a country that believes rape can and must end.”

The Pope’s rationale is that his “age means he lacks strength to do job.” You could use the exact words to describe the nine-year old girl the Pope excommunicated for having a life-saving abortion after being raped and impregnated, with twins.

Roe also acknowledges a related fact: until its passage women’s bodies, legally speaking, functioned like production facilities, holding tanks, regulated environments, the property of the men who impregnated them.

A lot of what we call “social issues” could simply be called “sex issues:” gay marriage, abortion rights, birth control and even issues like stem cell research. And “sex is good” just won. Young voters in particular influenced Barack Obama’s victory and the success of progressive ballot measures nationwide.

Akin’s statement and the GOP’s anti-choice positions aren’t just an election year “war on women” narrative. They are part of a reactionary, fundamentalist backlash to modernity. It’s a war on science. It’s a war on facts. It’s a war on critical thinking. But, really, consider it a war on democracy.